The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-06-11
RAILWAY PASSES.
IN %. states.l

IS" pcOlIo OUU3Iuc U'lo CNICeS VI Ioa'-
way managers are aware of the extent
TO- which the system OF free passes has
been carried on most Of our lines of
rail. Those who would like to inform
themselves of the gigantic proportions
which the abuse has assumed should
do themselves the pleasure of reading
an article on the subject contributed TO
the June number of The Forum by
Mr.. I. Il. Brooks.
From that article it will be learned
that the classes of persons who travel
free of charge are more than coeXten-
stve with the personnel Of all Federal,
State and municipal office-hoiders; and
that, while passes nre issued to many
Of these as marks of courtesy, by oth-
ers they are demanded like 50 much
backshish.
They are used by presidents of the
United States, cabinet ministers, heads
OF departments, judges, marshals, and
clerks of the Supreme Court of the
United States, ana their families!
They are used by governors of States
and Territories, Secretaries OF States,
State auditors, treasurers, attorney
generals, aud judges of every grade Of
are used by members of Congress,
members OF State and Territorial legis-
latures, by clerks. sergeant-at-arms,
doorkeepers, messengers, and police
men in and about the State and Nation
al capitals! They are used by every
grade OF country officials, by mayors
OF villages, towns and cities, by men,
bers of city councils, and every hanger
on upon tho machine Of city govern
ment! They are given to ministers
of the gospel, trustees of hospitals,
guardians Of the poor, sisters of mercy,
editors, publishers, and many men of
power and repute in private stations
With many companies the free list
amounts to thirty, forty and fifty thou~
sand dollars month!
The author of the article to which
we are indebted for this information is
peculiarly severe on one or two classes
who continue TO travel void of expense
to themselves. Listen what he says of
the members of legislatures in this cou-
nectiOn:
"a majority ofthe members of a lerisla-
ture are usually men of intelligence, con-
science, and honor they regard an occa-
sional trip pass AS an honorable courtesy,
and when they ask for passes they do so
with moderation and modesty. But not a
legislature is known to have existed in
modern times in which there was not a
hungry pack, greedy for passes and shame
less in the arts of getting them. They are
not necessarily corrupt men; but they are
men without delicacy of feeling, with no
sense OF propriety, and debauched by in
diligence in free passage. If they have
session passes they begin, as the session
draws to close, to ask for annual ones.
They ask for trip passes over remote and
foreign railways from ocean to ocean, from
the lakes to the gulf; they ask for them
by the half-doZen for relatives, friends, and
political adherents; they bespeak them be-
| forehand for use in summer tours; they
plan excursions during the session, in
which two, ten. or twenty members unite,
| FREQ in shoals to the national capital or to a
Afnroii- Grns festival. AS many as twenty
applications will be made in Il single day
to one company for passes good between n
Western State capital and Washington; Mt
the same time applications for local passes
will average as high AS two hundred daily.
Extremes often meet: great corporation
will appear on the floor of Legislative
chamber, i'll tho person of a well-known
representative, during hours Of session, and
distribute passes to members as if they
were stationery from the office of the
Secretary OF State"
But, bad enough as the legislator
shows up over the pass business, he is
not a common patch on your city
councilman when he goes on black
mailing cruise. The following, il per-
haps a tritle highly colored, is at least
near enough the truth TO be recogniza-
bic by those who are acquainted with
the often doubtful morale of the NUM-
cipat Scion =
Although there are honorable exceptions,
and although the average Intelligence OF
mombers OF city councils is equal to that
OF State Legislatures, yet tho conditions of
city life breed and sustain u type of public
men whose equal is nowhere else to be
found. They buy their way into Office
with money and liquor; they choose
judges of election; they stuff ballot DO xes
Tho forms, official duty and public virtue,
arc as strange to their ears as is tho slang OF
thieves to honest mon. They read mott her
books nor magazines; they dcfy the pub
Having bribcd their way into tho council
chamber, they station themselves like rob-
bers ut II mountain pass, exact money OF
all who como that way. They work or alb
cording AS they are paid. As it is Incredible
to suppose that such men would not stop
to- pick up money from the street, if it
we're lying before them, SO it cannot he
money, or its equivalent, ifthey know that
by asking they would get il. Hence, when
times are dun and other game is scarce.
they work tho railroad-pnss mine; and
in this work they arc bold ~ tho rats thai:
infest the docks. They demand trip passes
and ANIMALS for themselves. their families.
and their friends. They ask for them by
the dozen aud the gross, over near and dis
tant railroads; they soil them for cash TO
travellers and ''scalp ers: :" they give them
To harlots, loafers, and thieves. Business
men and even railroad employees have
learned to go to councilnien for passes when
law, fvnt 1,nr